Vive La France

Follow us as we travel around the Dordogne, Lot & Languedoc regions of France

Thursday, June 30, 2011

June 30 - Toulouse, Blagnac Airport, CDG and Home

 
 
 
We woke to a beautiful sunny day. Air France had notified us this morning of a one hour delay on our flight, so after breakfast we did some walking around for one last hit of tourist lust. Sat in Place Wilson with the rest of the Toulousians (?), admiring the fountain, sunning, reading the paper (even if our French est non bien pas). Then to Capitol Square and St Sernin's cathedral before heading back to the hotel to get our bags and check out. 

We had noticed at breakfast that the construction crews had blocked off the street we needed to go on to get to the hotel, and the alternate street was blocked by a moving truck backing up traffic into the main avenue. So we just took our stuff, put it on the roller bag, and walked the few blocks to the garage.

With all the concerns about being able to get out of the city it turned out to be a pice of cake because we were parked right on the main avenue needed to exit the city and there were sign every few 100 meters. Bridgette helped a little, but you still needed to watch signs not to take an exit too soon as some exits are just a few feet after each other. We made the airport, and Avis, in 20 minutes.

At check in the agent repeated what we knew but then handed us vouchers for use at the restaurant for sandwiches and drinks. Can you imagine AA doing that?

As we've probably said before, we really liked Toulouse, a large city but very easy to get around in.

This will be our last blog update. Got to CDG and the Novotel, and are shortly going out for our last dinner in France.

We're looking forward to getting back tomorrow. We've had a fabulous trip but are still looking forward to home.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

June 29 - Toulouse - Place de la Trinite

June 29 - St. Antonin Val Noble

June 29 - St. Antonin Val Noble

June 29 - St.Antonin Val Noble, Toulouse

This is our final day before we start our flights home. While we are sad to see our France vacation end all too quickly, we feel very fortunate to have had spectacular weather and to have seen some incredible sites.

We left Sarlat this morning at 10am to cloudy cool weather. We drove through fog and clouds as we worked our way through the Tarn de Gorges en route to the medieval city of St Antonin Val Noble. This was another gorgeous medieval town with timbered homes from the 12C. We walked the town for about an hour and then left for Toulouse.

We arrived back in Toulouse about 3pm and it seemed like ages ago since we were here. We've seen and done so much, we lost track of what we saw here. We decided to take the tourist train around the city and realized that all the sites on the tour we had seen on our walking tour 2 weeks ago. It was good to relax and let someone else do the driving though.

It is amazing how many people are wandering the streets and shopping. This is the 2nd largest city in France and has many beautiful buildings and the largest cathedral in France. After our tour of the city by train, we walked around the major tourist areas and stopped for dinner again on Place Wilson. We decided to have an Italian meal; after 3 weeks of rich French food of Duck and Foie Gras, we were ready for a change and looking for to great Mexican food this weekend. Meanwhile, another great meal that we needed to walk off.

Bon Soir for now.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

June 28 - Entrance to caves of Rouffignac

June 28 - Lunch at Les Eyzies

A fabulous Rainbow trout with almonds, potatoes Sardalaise, and rice pilaf.

June 28 - Main Room in Forte de Reignac

June 28 - Forte de Reignac

The view is of open ledges at the top, where man lived 14,000 years ago and the lower ledges where the openings were closed in for defense in later years.

June 28 - Forte de Reignac, Grotte Rouffignac

Relief from the 2-day heat wave! Today we had high clouds and temps in the mid 70's. Great for sightseeing.

After walking to the Petite Casino to buy dinner for tonight we headed out to Forte de Reignac, a fantastic visit. This was a fortress built high on the limestone cliffs, first used 17,000 yrs ago and then a fortress was built during the middle ages. The rooms were decorated with furniture from the 15th to 17th centuries and the English handout gave an excellent account of the history of the middle ages and the lives of the people that lived in the fortress.

At the end of the tour, there was a special exhibit on torture devices used during the middle ages. It is always astounding the ways humans could think of ways to torture other humans and makes you glad you did not live during those times. There was also a good explanation of how knights were brought up and their main purpose in life was to kill whether it be to protect his property, family or just for the hell of it.

We spent most of the morning here and then drove a short distance to Les Eyzies for lunch at a cafe called La Grinottere. Karen had a Croque Monsieur with frites and Michael had trout with almonds and sarladaise potatoes (which are excellent).

After a leisurely lunch, we headed to another cave called Grotte Rouffignac. All of the caves offer something different and interesting. This cave was about 1200 meters long and upon entering the cave, you take a small train ride through the cave stopping along the way to view the walls with bear scratches, see where cave bears made their dens and view cave paintings. The final stop you get out of the train and see an amazing sight. The ceiling is covered in mammoths, Ibex, horses, bison from 14,000 yrs ago. It is astounding to think that these Magdelenian people crawled through the caves with rudimentary lamps and painted these beautiful images on their backs. They could only see a small area, yet the animals were painted lifelike in many cases.

That, unfortunately, was the end of our sightseeing in the Sarlat area. This was our last night and we hated to say goodbye to Maison Josephine.

Tomorrow will be a long drive, almost 200 Kms, as we go a bit Southwest for some more sights and then South Eastward to Toulouse

Monday, June 27, 2011

June 27 - St-Amand-de-Coly

June 27 - Gardens at Hautefort

June 27 - Chateau Hautefort

June 27 - Chateau Hautefort

June 27 - Chateau de Hautefort, St-Amand-de-Coly, Abri du Cap Blanc

Another 100 degree day, but the humidity is only 22% :).

We got a 10am start to Chateau de Hautefort, a truly picturesque castle, one you would recognize. Though the spot it was on has had some castle from the 9C through the 17C, it was bought by Baron Henri de Bastard and his wife in 1929 and restored it as well as adding French style gardens. A fire hit in 1968 and they had to rebuild. The place however looks like a classic French castle and not as the medieval castle it started as.

We spent an hour and a half there and then began driving, looking for a small town to eat at and found St. Agnan. A small village, with a quaint eating place and covered patio and arbors. Pizza for Karen, but no matter how often Michael says he'll have a small lunch, again, not so. Though this time no wine. A salad with Avocado, shrimp, Lettuce and mayonnaise dressing followed by a large filet of Salmon, with Haricots Verte and a garlicky sauce and tomatoe, that followed by an Apple tart which we shared. Dinner will be late tonight.

Off to stop at St-Amand-de-Coly, population 394. The main attraction being its 12C church, with 12 foot thick walls, which went from church to fortress, during the Hundred Years War, and then back. Those thick walls meant that when we entered, granted it was probably 100 degrees out, it felt like we walked into a freezer.

Finally off to Abri du Cap Blanc, a rock shelter uncovered in 1909, with a frieze almost 50 feet long of bas relief in stone of horses and bison. This was once a cliff ledge on which people lived 15,000 years ago and created these artistic sculptures in the limestone walls. Today they've built a protective structure over the cliff face and you enter it to walk the ledge and admire the art. Truly an amazing site to see.

Then back to Sarlat to rest and wash up and go out to dinner.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

June 26 - St Cyprien, Les Eyzies de Tayac, Le Bugue, Font de Gaume Cave

Today we woke to beautiful sunny skies but the forecast was for hot weather today, so we got an early start and drove about 20km from Sarlat to St. Cyprien for their big market.  We browsed the streets and were able to take our time since the crowds had not yet arrived.   It was still relatively cool but we knew it wouldn't last long.  

We had planned to spend our day visiting Hautefort Castle, one of the biggest and best in the area, most of which is inside.  We wanted to do something to stay out of the afternoon heat.  We drove by Font-de-Gaume cave and decided to see if we could get tickets.  This is the best of the original pre-historic cave art in the world.  We had not originally planned to see this cave since we had visited Pech Merle and Lascaux and it is low and narrow and given my claustrophobia was a little concerned but decided to try given the magnificence of the other caves we had seen.   They limit the number of people to 100 per day to preserve the paintings.  We lucked out and were able to get tickets for the 3pm English speaking tour with only 9 people on our tour.  We met a couple from England and one from New York.

We spent mid morning until lunch visiting the fabulous Pre-History museum in Les Eyzies de Tayac, a town just down the street from the cave after which we had a leisurely lunch and then a brief drive to the small town of Le Bugue.  We didn't do much walking as there is not a lot to see here plus it was so hot (97 degrees)!  

The cave tour lasted 45 minutes and it was great to see the original artwork from 17,000-20,000 yrs ago, mostly paintings of bison and some reindeer.

We were a little worried about the apartment being hot and no A/C but it was actually cool when we walked in; we couldn't believe it.  Those thick limestone walls really do keep things cool.

It's supposed to be another hot day again tomorrow, so we will be spending it doing some inside activities.


June 26 - Michael a la Frenchy

June 26 - Pre-History Museum- Example of Cave Art

This is actual cave art recovered from one of the local caves and an example of what we saw in Font de Gaume, Pech Merle and Lascaux caves.

June 26 - Making Paella at St. Cyprien Market

June 26 - Field of Sunflowers

Saturday, June 25, 2011

June 25 - St. Genies

June 25 - Jardins d'Eyrignac

June 25 - Jardins d'Eyringnac

June 25 - Le Presidial Restaurant

June 25 - Le Presidial Garden Lunch

June 25 - Sarlat, Jardins d'Eyringnac, St-Genies, Temniac

Today was Sarlat's big market day. Vendors started arriving at 7am and by 9am every street and square in the medieval section is crammed with sellers of everything. Clothes, shoes, knick-knacks, games, records, books, paintings and ceramic art, and of course food. Everyone carries a shopping bag, or two, or wheels a shopping cart. You can buy the usual cheeses, meats, fish, and vegetables, and then ready made roasted chickens, ducks, and other fowl, Potatoes cooked a la Sarladaise, and even a great looking seafood Paella, and all sorts of pates, and marinated anything.

We planned to wander the market for the morning, have lunch here at a restaurant that we had read about (Le Presidial) and then head out for the day. So we stocked up on breakfast stuff (cheeses, jam, bread, berries, and cake), and then bought dinner. Salad stuff of course and then Paella (for Mike), Sarladaise potatoes, apple tarts, bread, and more cans of Foie Gras to take home.

Le Presidial is in a 16C renovated manor home right in the center of town, off the main street, with tables set up under shade trees and porticos and awnings. It's hard to believe this is the center of Sarlat, with the beautiful garden and peaceful surrounding while just outside there is the noise and hustle and bustle of the crowds. More pate, duck breast for Karen, roasted Rouget filets (mullet) for Mike, potatoes, haricot verte, all with typically great French sauces, and wine. All this followed by a shared Tarte du Noix. The Sarlat specialty dessert is a cake, tart, cookies, even ice cream, made with Walnuts (noix). That will hold us until dinner.

We left and drove to the Jardins d'Eyringnac, first laid out in the 18th century and maintained and added to by its present owners, husband, wife and son. It's a beautiful place, with topiary sculptured shrubs and trees, pools, and vegetable and flower gardens, apple trees and cypress groves, all on 10 acres with a 17th century mansion the owners live in. The home and property has been in the same family for 500 years.

Then we just drove around the countryside, following a route suggested in our Michelin guide, stopping at two small towns. St. Genies, built around a 15C castle, and then Temniac, with its 12C church, and a view that is supposed to overlook Sarlat. But, today was some kind of town gathering and everyone and his uncle was there, which required parking in a field off the road and making it impossible to get around. So, as it was getting late, we just headed back to Sarlat.

The one good thing about Sarlat is that everywhere we want to go is just a few kilometers away. The furthest we've driven so far is maybe 60 kilometers distant. There are a few sites that we'll see that will be further but most of those we'll take in as we drive back to Toulouse next week.

Also, not to forget, the weather today again was perfect. Brilliant sun, no clouds, low 80's and no humidity. Along the comfort subject we should add that the apartment has no air conditioning, but we have not noticed it. It is cooler than the street and its thick walls are what does it. With the windows open, though we close then at night as it does get down to the 50's, the cross ventilation is perfect.

Friday, June 24, 2011

June 24 - Chateau Fenelon

June 24 - Montfort Castle

June 24 - La Roque Gageac Castle

June 24 - Karen and Canoe at Pull Out

June 24 - La Roque Gageac from Dordogne

June 24 - Canoeing the Dordogne, Chateau Montfort, Chateau de Fenelon

Today was a perfect day, sunny and 75. After our usual breakfast we left for Vitrac where we would start our day canoeing down the Dordogne.

Various companies rent canoes. You pick how far you want to go, as few as 7km and as many as 30km the rental is then based on where they pick you up to bring you back to your car. We decided to leave from Vitrac and end at Beynac castle, a distance of 15 Kms (about 9 miles), which they estimate at 2:30 hours but took us 3 hrs. They provide life jackets and a waterproof barrel to put your stuff in, just in case you tip over or splash water (more the likely event).

The trip down the Dordogne is beautiful. The river runs slow, no rapids (just a few burbles), and plenty of areas to pull out. But also along the way are various camping areas with snack bars. We had eaten a big breakfast & had water bottles, so except for one brief stop to admire the view of La Rogue Gageac again we were able to just paddle slowly down the river.

We passed three bridges, a few chateaux, and sites we'd seen such as La Roque Gageac, Castlenaud and Fayrac, as well as loads of ducks, swans and fish hopping out of the water.

While we may have thought about all our missed fitness center days, today definitely got us our upper arm, bicep and deltoid exercise. All the other days of climbing to the tops of the chateaux and hilltop towns took care of the legs and thighs.

We cannot describe enough how beautiful the Dordogne canoe trip was. With mild temperatures and a practically cloudless sky, light winds at times but mostly the water was like a mirror. The depth of the river is at most 6 feet but most areas are 3-4 ft and crystal clear water.

Lunch at Beynac, same great riverside restaurant as on Monday, a short 20 minute drive to the car, and we were off to see Chateau Montfort. While the chateau is closed to the public, the views of it from various stops along the road are fantastic and, if anything looks like Snow White's castle, this one did.

Then off to Chateau de Fenelon. It has existed since 1375, but in its present form from 1445. It is now owned by a family who bought it and set about restoring it as it was furnished in the 16th through 18th centuries.

Then back to Sarlat. With our late lunch at Beynac we're just going to go out for some coffee and dessert, walk the village and call it a day.

One item we have observed is the obvious lack of cell phone use. It is so refreshing to not hear the constant ringing and loud talking at restaurants and nobody walks around with them glued to their ears.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

June 23 - Biron Chateau

June 23 - Monpazier Medieval Arches

June 23 - Belves Place d'Armes

June 23 - Marqueyssac Topiary

June 23 - View over the Dordogne

June 23 - Marqueyssac Gardens

June 23 - Jardin de Marqueyssac, Belves, Monpazier, Chateau Biron

The weather was a mixture of sun and clouds, highs in the low 70's, perfect for touring but not canoeing which we moved to tomorrow. The next 10 days are supposes to be sunny and in the upper 80's to mid 90's.
We are getting to be experts at getting out of town. We no longer need Bridgette nor a map to get going.
We headed 60 Km South of Sarlat, first stopping at the Jardins de Marqueyssac, a magnificent hilltop garden of topiary with wooded paths up to various overlooks of the Dordogne and its chateaux. There are peacocks that roam free in the gardens and will eat out of your hand. We climbed the paths, sat in the overlooks, marveled at the stream-like waterways they built into the mountain sides. we spent about two hours here and then headed to two 'bastide' towns on the list of TMBVF.
We went to the villages of Belves and Monpazier next. Both typical medieval architecture, but had lunch first in Belves right on the town square overlooking its 12C Halle, a covered market.
Then to Chateau Biron, a well preserved and reconstructed 12C chateau with a variety of architectural styles spanning the 12C to 18C.
Then home to rest and again eat in. But this time Mike picked up some Fois Gras as his appetizer. After dinner we took a walking tour of Sarlat, through the maze of old streets lit by gas lamps which cast a romantic glow over the city.
Bon Soir.

June 22 - Dinner Chez Nous

Eating in tonight. Too beat to go out. Salad, roast chicken, wine, baguette.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

June 22 - Princess-in-Waiting ?

June 22 - Chateau des Milandes

June 22 - Domme

Old town ramparts and town gate.

June 22 - La Roque Gageac

June 22 - La Roque Gageac

June 22 - Sarlat Market

June 22 - Sarlat Market, La Roque Gageac, Domme, Chateau Des Milandes

Sarlat has a small market day on Wednesday's so we visited it and did some small shopping,mostly for tonight's dinner. Saturday is the big market. Then we tried to leave town and it took almost 30 minutes, so we can't imagine what it was like last night trying to leave after the music festival, or even trying to come or go on Saturday when practically the entire town will be covered with stalls on every street. Edie, just FYI, we bought one of those scissors you recommended in today's market, so cutting herbs should be easier now.
First stop was La Roque Gageac, another one of TMBVF's (The Most Beautiful Villages In France, as they are called). It too has a troglodyte development from the 12C as well as beautiful homes and a shopping street right on the Dordogne. We spent about an hour there and even found another canoe rental place a bit closer.
Then off to Domme. As we left it started to drizzle (it was cloudy and cool today, even though at 7am the sun was out). But when we got to Domme it stopped and the sky brightened. We were fairly high up and chilly enough for a light jacket. We arrived in time for lunch right on a belvedere overlooking the valley. This town is another one of TMBVF's but larger than most we've seen with about 1,000 residents and more shops (which you know who liked).
After an hour's sightseeing we left and drove to Chateau Des Milandes. This is like a 'Sleeping Beauty' castle built in 1489 and later purchased in 1948 by Josephine Baker, an African American who started dancing and singing at a young age, and moved to France to dance in the Folies Bergere (as a nude dancer, for which she became a sensation for that as well as her race). We toured the inside of the castle, which displayed all of her pictures, belongings and room designs as an homage to her. She was also very active in the French resistance as a way of giving back to France the opportunities it gave her.
There was also a great bird show on the grounds of the castle of all kinds of raptors.
Later we walked the trails on the grounds through the gardens and wooded areas as well as an aviary area where they raise raptors.
We returned home for a lazy dinner and the first night we didn't need to take a second shower nor wash clothes.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

June 21 - Music Festival - Place de la Liberte

June 21 - Music Festival

June 21- Country Line Dancing at Festival

June 21 - Dinner & Music Festival

We discovered today that there was a music festival in Sarlat to celebrate the summer solstice. As we walked around the streets on the way to dinner we noticed bandstands being set up for the evening on many streets and squares. But dinner first.....
Dinner was another one of our 'small' quiet affairs. The restaurant, Le Mirandol, is highly recommended. No room on the street level so we went to the second floor (really the third) and a window table. OK, we obviously have become frenchified. Karen's meal at 13.50 euros includes a salade avec crudities, a beef tenderloin with Poivre Vert (Green Peppercorn sauce) and potatoes Sarladaise, decides she can't do the green salad that also comes with it, an apple tart and coffee, plus wine. Mike, bigger stomach, for only 24 euros has a starter of Duck liver in Peach sauce and a prune jam, then Coquilles St. Jacque en crout (to die for), then a filet de Sandre (a local fish) with Sorrel sauce, potatoes Sarladaise, then a green salad, followed by an apple tart and coffee too, plus the inevitable wine.
Obviously we had a lot to walk off after this meal.
We noticed there were tons of people walking the streets and the centre of the village was blocked off to cars for the festival. There were at least 50 different musical acts set up around the town, playing everything from rock, pop, jazz, country, classical, small and large acts plus dancing in the streets. We came upon a group called Sarlat Country Dance. They wore cowboy hats and boots and performed country line dancing to American country music! There were 95 in the group and we talked to one of the members who said they had been doing this for 5 years. What an experience to be a part of this celebration. We thoroughly enjoyed the evening and at 11:30 headed back to the apt to have time to write up this blog and look forward to another great day in the Dordogne tomorrow.
Bon Soir

June 21 - La Roque St Christophe

June 21 - St Leon sur Vezere

June 21 - Montignac

June 21 - Lascaux, Montignac, St. Leon sur Vezere, La Roque St Christophe, La Madeleine

Lots of visits today in the Vezere valley. This area is well known for its abundance of caves with paintings and Cro-Magnon and Troglodyte man.
We started with our visit to Lascaux. The original cave had to be closed because the millions of visitors each year were causing humidity to rise as well as various destructive growths that were damaging the paintings. So, just like at Egypt's Abu Simbel, where they relocated the entire monument to avoid the flooding river, here they built an exact replica of the original caves and their paintings using the latest technology so that it was exact to within five millimeters of the original site's construction though a few hundred meters away in another cave.
Pech Merle was very good and very large with multiple rooms to go through. Lascaux is very short, two large rooms of about 80 meters in length. But the quality of the paintings was magnitudes better. It is amazing to see the artistry of people that lived 17,000 years ago, their use of color and their precision considering all they could do was spit colors on the wall or daub color on with fur, while using their hands to act as a template and form the shape.
We then stopped in the small village of Montignac, near where Lascaux is. Another medieval village with the Vezere River running through it and interesting streets, houses and river area.
Then on to St. Leon sur Vezere, a very small village on the Vezere, small historic center, and stopped for Le Dejeuner sur l'Herbe (lunch on the grass). We ate at picnic tables along the river and two cats, a Siamese and a fluffy black one, joined us to eat what we didn't.
Then off to La Roque St. Christophe. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area, over a kilometer in length on 5 levels of cuts in the cliffside, was first inhabited at least 25,000 years ago by people who lived under the overhanging cliffs that were eaten into the soft mountainside. They built houses there much like the Anasazi cliff dwellers in Arizona. The site is a few hundred feet above the river and the views panoramic.
Our final stop was at La Madeleine (no, not the restaurant), a site inhabited by troglodytes (prehistoric men who lived in caves) over 17,000 years ago and then continually through the middle ages by following civilizations. It was only discovered in 1863. This too was an area built into caves, or rather openings in the rock face of the cliff to which were added stones and rocks to form walls, rooms and protection.
So, if you're tired of the history lesson, imagine us, clambering up and down stone steps, wooded paths, etc. Good thing we didn't live back then without elevators and air conditioning. Plus we got back at 5pm, rush hour! But, getting around has gotten easy and familiar. Now we'll rest, wash up, and go out for dinner.
We just got back from a fantastic evening. See next post.

Monday, June 20, 2011

June 20 - Dinner Chez Nous (on our Patio)

June 20 - Castlenaud (with view of Stables used in Joan of Arc movie)

June 20 - Lunch on Dordogne River

June 20 - Beynac Castle

June 20 - Fayrac Castle (Owned by Texan)

June 20 - Sarlat, Beynac & Castlenaud

Waking up in our own apartment was a great change from those hotel rooms. Walked to a cute patisserie for breakfast, then got the car and off to Beynac. But, before that, we stopped at the supermarket on the way out of town to pick up some stuff, mostly non-food items. We'll stop on the way back to get the food stuff.
Beynac is right on the Dordogne and boasts a castle at it's top. But first we took a gabares boat ride on the Dordogne. It was early so the temperature was still cool. The river flows lazily making it easy for the canoeists (of which we will be too Thursday), to paddle up and down river. The river is shallow and the scenery stupendous. Looking up from it at the rising promontory with the castle on top makes one imagine what it must have been like back in the 12C and 13C during the 100 years war. One of the castles we saw is now owned by some Texan who made his fortune, as the French speaking guide noted, in his business crushing cars!

Then a break for some lunch at a riverside restaurant.

After lunch we drove up to Beynac castle, with amazing views, panoramas, over the countryside and the Dordogne.The Luc Bresson picture 'Jean d'Arc' was filmed here and they even had part of the set still preserved. By the way, we forgot to mention it, but Robin Hood, with Kevin Costner, was filmed at Carcassonne.

But, besides movie sets, the real thing was impressive. Lots of climbing up ramps and stairs, real narrow spiral stone stairs. This castle was started in the 11C, changed hands many times, was added to over the hundreds of years and even now is being reconstructed after years of being ignored. Temperatures were in the 90's by late afternoon, but obviously not as hot as back in Plano!
Next, a few kilometers away, Castlenaud village and it's castle. This was a picture perfect one.

Then off to Vitrac, a small village where we'll be picking up our canoe for a trip down the Dordogne. You park there and they bus you up river to get your canoe. You then float, and paddle, back to Vitrac. There are multiple trips with times varying from an hour to four hours, depending just how much you like canoeing. With that checked out we headed back to Sarlat.
Made our final stop for food. We're eating in tonight and also needed to stock up on breakfast stuff. One thing about living where we do is that we had to park in the pay lot, which is only 50 meters from the apartment, so that we could lug everything (including three bottles of wine which made it all that heavier), into the house. Then back down, pay the 80 cents (for 15 minutes), and put the car into the free lot for overnight use, which is two blocks away.
Simple dinner tonight. Salad, spaghetti al Arabiatta, a good French baguette, olive oil with truffles, wine, coffee and a great chocolaty dessert from the local patisserie.
Finished the laundry we've been hoarding, and even without spending two hours at dinner out, as I type this, it's already 10pm!
So, that's it for Monday!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

June 19 - Apartment

Kitchen. That's a combo clothes washer/drier at far end, dishwasher under right side. Side note: The washer takes over 2 hours and the drier an hour. Plus, the drum is small.